2000
#3,831
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,516
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.16
Rare Last name
Chew
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of candles.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,696 Americans carry the last name Chew. That puts it at #4,073 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,350 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Chew surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Chew with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.7K
1 in 35,350
Census rank
#4,073
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,455 bearers of the surname Chew in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4073rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Chew, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 38.2%. The next largest groups are White (36.5%) and Black (14.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Chew
The surname Chew is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "ceow," which means "jaw" or "chew." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person with a prominent or distinctive jaw.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Chew can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "William Cheoue." This document, compiled during the reign of King Edward I, served as a survey of landowners and their holdings.
In the 14th century, the name Chew appeared in various forms, such as "Chewe" and "Chue," in various records and documents across England. For instance, the "Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem" from 1365 mentions a "John Chewe" from Oxfordshire.
The Domesday Book, a remarkable survey of landowners and their estates commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not explicitly mention the surname Chew. However, it does record several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Chew Magna and Chew Stoke in Somerset.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Chew was Sir John Chew (c. 1520-1586), a member of Parliament and Sheriff of Somerset during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Samuel Chew (1693-1744), a prominent lawyer and judge in colonial Pennsylvania.
In the 18th century, Benjamin Chew (1722-1810) was a notable American lawyer, judge, and chief justice of Pennsylvania. He was also a close friend and confidant of George Washington.
Moving forward, Henry Chew (1808-1894) was a prominent English businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Nottingham.
Lastly, Oswald Chew (1892-1967) was a distinguished British naval officer who served during World War I and World War II, rising to the rank of Admiral.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Chew throughout history, each leaving their mark in various fields and professions across different eras and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Chew
Among Census respondents with the surname Chew, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 38.2%. The next largest groups are White (36.5%) and Black (14.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Chew bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Chew surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander38.2% · 3,231
- White36.5% · 3,082
- Black or African American14.1% · 1,192
- Two or more races6.1% · 517
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 394
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Chew
Chew appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,905
+389 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 3.02
Rank movement Down 157 places
2020
#4,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,455
-450 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 2.83
Rank movement Down 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,831 | 8,516 | 3.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,988 | 8,905 | 3.02 | +389 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 157 places |
| 2020 | #4,073 | 8,455 | 2.83 | -450 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 85 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Chew surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,988 | #4,073 | -2.1% |
| Count | 8,905 | 8,455 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.02 | 2.83 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Chew bearers went from 8,905 to 8,455 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,988 to #4,073.
FAQ
Chew surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Chew?
Name Census estimates that about 9,696 living Americans carry the surname Chew. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,350 residents.
How common is Chew?
Chew ranks #4,073 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,455 people with the surname Chew. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,696), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Chew.
Has Chew become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Chew went from 8,905 recorded bearers to 8,455. That is a decrease of 450 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,988 to #4,073.
What does the Census say about the background of Chew?
Among Census respondents with the surname Chew, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 38.2%. The next largest groups are White (36.5%) and Black (14.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Chew in the 2020 Census, accounting for 38.2% (3,231 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Chew appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (38.2%), White (36.5%), Black (14.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Chew (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Chew mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of candles. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Chew (2.83 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Chew?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Chew at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.